1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present invention may relate to a semiconductor device and, more particularly, to a tape automated boding (TAB) tape for a tape carrier package.
2. Description of the Related Art
A semiconductor chip may be mounted on a wiring substrate. A wiring substrate may include a tape carrier film. A tape carrier film may include a film tape and wiring patterns may be provided on the film tape.
A tape carrier film and a semiconductor chip mounted on the tape carrier film may be packaged to form a tape carrier package. The manufacture of a tape carrier package may involve a tape automated bonding (TAB) technique for connecting the semiconductor chip to the tape carrier package. A tape carrier film may be referred to as a TAB tape.
FIG. 1 is a plan view of a conventional TAB tape 10.
Referring to FIG. 1, the TAB tape 10 may include a base film 1. Wiring patterns may be provided on the base film 1. The base film 1 may be fabricated from an insulating material, for example a polyimide resin. The wiring patterns may be fabricated by providing a conductive film, for example a Cu film, on the base film 1 and patterning the conductive film by photo etching, for example.
The base film 1 may have a chip mounting area 2. The base film 1 may have sprocket holes arranged along opposing edges of the base film 1.
The wiring patterns may include first leads 3 and second leads 4. The first leads 3 may be electrically connected to a semiconductor chip using an inner lead bonding method (for example). The second leads 4 may be connected to terminals of an external substrate. As compared to the second leads 4, the first leads 3 may be provided at a smaller pitch, and thus may have smaller widths.
The wiring patterns may include input wiring patterns and output wiring patterns. The input wiring patterns may extend from one side of the chip mounting area 2. The output wiring patterns may extend from the other side of the chip mounting area 2. The quantity of the second leads of the output wiring patterns may be more than the quantity of the second leads of the input wiring patterns. The widths of the second leads of the input wiring patterns may be greater than the width of the second lead of the output wiring patterns.
FIG. 1A is an enlarged plan view of section 1A in FIG. 1.
Referring to FIG. 1A, the wiring patterns may include connection portions 5 that may extend between the first leads 3 and the second leads 4. The connection portions 5 may provide a transition between the first leads 3 (which may be provided at a relatively small pitch) and the second leads 4 (which may be provided at a relatively large pitch). For example, the connection portions 5 may extend in an inclined fashion relative to the first and the second leads 3, 4, respectively.
The connection portions 5 may include a shortest connection portion 5a that may have the shortest length between the first and the second leads 3, 4, respectively. The shortest connection portion 5a may experience a change of width due to the difference in widths between the first lead 3 and the second lead 4.
A tape carrier package implementing a TAB tape may be tested. During testing processes, stresses from heat and/or mechanical shocks (for example) may be concentrated on the shortest connection portion 5a, which may damage and/or break the shortest connection portion 5a. 
Attempts have been made to reduce the stress concentration phenomenon at the shortest connection portion. According to one conventional approach, and with reference to FIG. 2A, notches 6 may be provided in the shortest connection portions 5 to reduce the change of width of the shortest connection portions 5.
The notch 6 may dissipate stresses in a specific direction, but it may not dissipate stresses in different directions, and therefore the notch 6 may not reduce stresses due to mechanical shocks.
As shown in FIG. 2B, a dummy pattern 7, which may have a diamond shape, may be provided between a pair of shortest connection portions to extend the lengths of the shortest connection portions.
However, wiring patterns may be extended in length and/or size, which may enlarge the size of the TAB tape. Therefore, the size of a semiconductor device may not be reduced.
As shown in FIG. 2C, the widths of first leads 3, which may be connected to shortest connection portions, may be widened (as compared to the other first leads 3) in conformity with the widths of second leads 4, which may be connected to shortest connection portions. Here, wiring patterns may include width adjusted leads 8, which may reduce the integration and the pitch of a semiconductor chip.